This is not what Australia wants. This industry is a blight on Australia's international reputation. It is not in the best interests of the economy, not in the best interests of Australian jobs and value-adding, not in the best interests of sustainable and reliable industry and employment for the rural sector and definitely not in the best interests of the animals.

And we saw how the Memorandum Of Understanding with Bahrain worked out for the sheep on board the Ocean Drover at the end of August 2012 - sent to Pakistan to be massacred. A MOU is worth less than nothing.

ESCAS has proved to be worthless, with the same rate of exposed OIE breaches post ESCAS as before... maybe more.

So now WA exporters want to expand the market and start exporting sheep to Iran again... to the tune of one million sheep or more. Read the article here.

"Mr Thomson has written to Indonesian Agriculture Minister Dr Suswona urging "appropriate action" after images emerged of cows in East Java being hoisted by a crane with ropes tied around their heads."

You'd be hard pressed to find an Australian who isn't aware of the fact that Australia exports sheep and cattle (amongst other animals) overseas for slaughter. But ask them if they're aware that Australia also exports greyhounds to Macau where they too end up slaughtered if they are not fast enough, or if they've just reached the end of their racing career.

Possibly worse - whilst used by the industry, most are kept in cages when not racing, sometimes drugged, and have no semblance of a life worth living for a dog.

At a time when primary producers and state & federal governments should be diversifying and looking towards a future without live exports and an increase in locally processed chilled meat for export, the WA Farmers Federation is talking INCREASE in live exports.